June 29, 2026
7-Inch Vinyl DJ Essentials: Adapters, Cases, and More
It’s often the smaller, less glamorous accessories which have the most impact on your quality of life when it comes to spinning vinyl. On the new episode o...
Monday, April 23, 2018
Watch: How Zedd’s ‘The Middle’ Was Made
Zedd in Tokyo (Credit: Rukes)
Most pop hits these days are the work of multiple songwriters and producers. In the case of Zedd, Maren Morris, and Grey‘s smash “The Middle,” there are seven credited songwriters and three credited producers. The process took over a year and almost fell apart at one point.
The hard work and patience have paid off, though. “Middle” has amassed hundreds of millions of streams and is currently No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot 100, making it Zedd’s highest-charting single as a main artist.
For the debut episode of its Diary of a Song series, The New York Times “tracked the writing and production of ‘The Middle’ through voice memos, demo versions, text messages, emails, interviews and more provided by those behind the track.”
Watch below.
Related: Watch Murda Beatz Explain How He Produced Migos, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B’s ‘MotorSport’
